Disposable garments are generally well known in the art and have become an important and an essentially indispensable sanitary protection item, most particularly in the field of infant and child care where disposable diapers provide for the absorption and containment of urine and other bodily exudates. Present commercially available disposable diapers are generally unitary, preshaped and prefolded, and comprised of a porous facing layer and a fluid impervious backing sheet with an absorbent material disposed therebetween. These presently available disposable diapers have met a particular need and have become ever increasingly popular. However, even though the present available disposable diapers have achieved a certain degree of efficiency and effectiveness, several draw-backs remain tat have been identified by mothers of infants wearing the diapers. These mothers have strongly voiced their desire to be able to obtain disposable diapers that are aesthetically neat and attractive when on their infant or child. The aesthetically neat criteria have been identified as including a trim, slim fit, and a neat fitting waist and legs that do not allow leakage of urine or feces. It has also been found that mothers do not want their children looking rumpled, bulky or messy. In addition, these mothers have expressed the desire to either have a disposable diaper that fits more sizes of babies or to have disposable diapers provided in more sizes. Another draw-back identified by these mothers has been the problem associated with skin irritation caused by urine, feces or moisture trapped next to the skin. They have again been very vocal in their desire to obtain disposable diapers that avoid or solve this problem.
The typical disposable diaper has a three-layer composite structure comprising a liquid permeable bodyside inner liner, a liquid impermeable outer cover and an absorbent batt sandwiched between the liner and the cover. Materials now in general use for the three principal elements of a disposable diaper include various types of nonwoven fabrics for the bodyside liner, a thin thermoplastic film for the outer cover and cellulosic fluff for the absorbent batt.
Disposable diapers of the type presently on the market are flat open-sided garments that are intended to be fit around an infant by a parent while the infant is lying down. The rear panel of the diaper is placed underneath the infant, and the front panel drawn between the infant's legs, after which the sides are overlapped and held together by pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. Examples of present disposable diapers are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,324,245 to Mesek, et al., 3,196,874 to Hrubecky, and 4,050,462 to Woon, et al.
Prior art diaper constructions disclosed in the references listed below have sought to provide waste containment with a reusable diaper holder receiving an absorbent structure:
1. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,658,064 to Pociluyko and 3,370,590 to Hokanson, et al.; PA0 2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,128 to Motomura; PA0 3. U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,105; PA0 4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,646 to Daniels, et al.; PA0 5. U.S. Patent Nos. 4,597,761, 4,496,360 and 4,597,760.
Other diapers, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,464 to Korpman, have utilized elastic fluid impermeable backing films laminated to an absorbent layer in an attempt to provide enhanced conformability to the body surface.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,355,425 to Jones, et al. and 3,644,157 to Draper disclose disposable stretchable nonwoven panties unsuitable for absorbing and containing body wastes.
Even where prior art designs have attempted to use impermeable elastic film barriers, there has been inadequate recognition of the functional problems associated with an elastic outer cover. Further, costly woven diaper holders or overpants, designed to be waterproof and reusable, do not offer a truly disposable capability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,781 to Sciaraffa, et al., assigned to the instant assignee, discloses an elasticized waist diaper wherein an elastic is positioned in an opening in the waist section, forming a part thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,990 to Sigl, assigned to the instant assignee, discloses an elasticized diaper wherein an elastic strip is bonded to a heat shrinkable material in the waist area.
Although the above-mentioned prior art disposable absorbent garments may be provided with elasticized leg and/or waist openings, there remains a need for an anatomically form-fitting, generally self-adjusting garment that will comfortably accommodate different body sizes and shapes.